Innocence
by The Tip of My Tongue
Summary: A young girl escapes her prisoner and with the help of a friend they battle for freedom. A story about the sanctity  of life.
1. Prologue

This is a story on the sanctity of life. Centered around an OC. Chapter one and two are finished and ready to be posted, if anyone is interested. I started this story a little over a half a year back. I thought last night, "Why not post?" So here it is. I hope you enjoy!

**Innocence**

**Prologue **

Blackford's Exotic and rare zoo is known in the past for some of it's exhibits being phoney. From my keepers I heard that the human/dog thing didn't go so well once the people found out it was just a woman and a lot of makeup. After that incident, we had to flee to Mexico. I say 'we' because I am a part of Blackford's zoo; I've been here ever since I can remember. I'm one of the main attractions. I have fox ears, teeth, claws that were retractable, and a big fluffy tail, but otherwise I looked human. Almost eight years ago, back in America, Blackford would put makeup on me and dress me up so I didn't look quite so human. Because, he had said, people were too strict in America about human rights, as far as he was concerned, I had none.

I had realized this, right before we left California the last spring I ever saw in America, as I watched a spirited horse fight off it's abusive keepers and escape. That very night I promised myself that I would no longer be Blackford's obedient slave, that I was a human, and no more would they treat me any lower... that they could never break me. I am sorry to say that it didn't work quiet like I had planned, but ever since then none has dared to approach me without some kind of restraint.

I growled as Blackford approached with a crowd of curious Mexicans behind him.

"I always save the best, for last."

My hands shook even more... I had never been the same after a few turks had decided I was a 'demon' and needed to be killed. It had taken me a full month before I had recovered from that beating, even then; I was never the same.

"People," he said, "I give you She-Fox! Half human/half fox. Many, many year ago, I was fox hunting when my hounds picked up an unusual scent," a dramatic pause, I had heard this story before, he eyes widened and he stared up, "I saw a flash of red and my dogs gave chase." he paced in front of the cage making gestures, "We chased the creature many a mile until I finally traced it back to it's barrow." he sighed as if it was the saddest thing in the world, "It was then that I saw what it truly was. Out of the kindness of my heart," he placed his hand on his chest, his eyes softening, "I couldn't leave this poor orphan alone in the wildernesses, with bears and snakes, and savage wolves! Winter was coming on too. So I brought it home and nursed it back to health, for it was sick too. I've cared for it for many years but, as you can see, it's a savage beast! I would have released it, but it is too dangerous for the world, so I now go around educating you folks on the nature of strange creatures that yet live in our forests..." he continued on and on before leading the people away. The story wasn't true, I knew, but I also didn't know how I came to be here or why I was like this, I always have figured I had been some kind of freak experiment that Blackford had bought. None were allowed to take pictures, Blackford said that I was frightened of them, but I knew that he just wanted to keep the price high for seeing me.

I curled up tucking my trembling hands underneath my body and resting my head on my arm, failing to notice the two men who lagged behind the rest who nodded conspicuously to each other.

``~``~``=``~``~``=``~``~``=``~``~``=``~``~``=``~``~``=``~``~``=.

"DIMWIT! JUST THROW THAT ONE IN WITH FOXY OVER THERE!" I jerked awake to Blackford's ever-so-pleasant voice in the morning. Apparently, he was yelling at my keeper, "Dimwit", wasn't his real name, but it was the only name I had ever heard him called. He was slow and sometimes talked, but was always strangely happy.

There was the ear splitting sound of my cage(cell) door opening before the weirdest creature I had ever seen was shoved in, and that's saying a lot for a 14 year old girl with fox like qualities. I growled at the intruding figure.

"Hey! It's not like I want to be in here!" he said, his palms out in a 'easy' manner. "Besides," he added, "I bite too!" I stopped growling, suspicious, keeping my ears pulled back in a warning. He eased down onto the floor, and laughed nervously as he surveyed our surroundings. "I feel like Dumbo in that movie with all these cages and stuff," he said, I cocked my head to the side, I had no clue what he was talking about. "Maybe I should just start pacing to make it seem more realistic?" he asked, and I just stared at him, unblinkingly. It was a plus for being part of the- fe- fe-... cat family. He stood up and about that time the train started going and he was thrown to the floor. "Uh..." he pushed up onto his knees. He frowned at me. "You don't talk that much, do you?" asked the boy, he had to be about the same age as me, though he was bigger, or I was just really small for my age. "Do you even talk?" he waited a few moments, "I'll take that as a no." he sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, thinking. His dra-... lizard like claws clattering against the metal floor as smoke came out of his nostrils in little puffs as he concentrated. It looked so funny, I quirked a smile. He noticed immediately and grinned, showing a row of _very_ sharp teeth. "So, you _are_ alive in there. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only person in here." I tilted my head, relaxing my ears. He wasn't... too bad, maybe. He as kind of funny looking with those huge hands."You've been here for a while, haven't you?" he asked, fixing me with his piercing dra- dragon like eyes, that seemed to take in everything. I hadn't moved since night, besides lifting my head, so he didn't see my hands. He shook his head suddenly, "I'm Deric, but my friends and foes call my Dragon," he grinned, then his face darkened, "Some friends they were... I've only just become a mutant," seeing my puzzled look he explained, "You don't understand?" he gave me a dubious look, "We, _you_ and _me_, are mutants, genetic hick-ups, I guess. Anyways," he continued on, "These "friends" of mine, decided I'd be more use to them if they sold me to to this circus. They jumped me last night; didn't see it coming." I growled, and he somehow understood I wasn't growling at him, he nodded, "Yeah... so here I am." he looked around again at the darkened cell, light pouring in from the cracks, and the constant _click click click_ as the train rattled down the tracks.

I curled my tail around me and fell asleep.

.

.

.

WHAM!

I jerk awake as light poured into the cage from where they raised the covers. I scrunch my eyes trying to see.

"Hey, she didn't eat him," exclaimed Dimwit, as a few other keepers laughed as they went about their duties. I've never ate anyone. They knew that Dragon understood them, so they were going to have fun at his expense. I growled and bared my teeth at the keeper as he shoved two bowls of food in underneath the bars. Water was always available to us and was changed daily unless the keeper forgot.

I crawled awkwardly over, as Dragon stared at his.

"Uh... I didn't order this..."

"You eat what you're given,"

"Not this-this... this dog food!"

"It's not dog food, it's highly nutritious mush. Now shut up and eat, creature." The wooden cover/door was slammed shut and I winced at the sound. Hurts my sensitive ears... By that time I had licked the bowl clean, since using my hands is difficult with their shakiness and mush was hard to grip. Dragon stared at me for a few seconds before picking up his bowl. "Here goes nothing..." if it hadn't been for my sensitive hearing I would have never picked up his mumbling. He lifted the bowl to his lips and tilted it. He stopped and licked his lips. "Hey... this isn't half bad." Yeah, it was better than normal... it was-was "It kinda tastes like bread pudding in a way. Sweet." Yeah, that's the word, sweet. Dragon lifts up the bowl to eat more, and I watch him, fascinated, as I start to see double. That fascination soon turns into fear as the world tips and I go careening into the floor.

"Foxy!" he scrambles over to the side of me and shakes me. "Help! Someone Help!" My vision darkens with each passing second, and the last thing I see is Dragon falling over onto his side.

Side note: Just so you know, I don't believe in evolution. But who doesn't want to mysteriously wake up one morning with superpowers? Anyways, it makes a good story-line.

Please read and review!


	2. Chapter One, Kidnapped

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-men, nor will I ever. Which is probably a good thing, considering I'd probably mess it up!

**.**

**Innocence**

**Chapter One**

**Kidnapped**

**.**

"-be quiet," whispered a voice in the darkness, "You don't want the guards hearing us!" my cheek brushed against something leathery.

"Josh, help me with this other one, he's heavy!"

I struggled in the darkness. _Come on... wake up..._

"I thought you said there was only one."

"I thought so too, but they must have just got another one."

"C'mon guys," said a new someone right close to my ears. Ow... _that _woke me up, "Hurry up!"

I wrenched myself out of unconsciousness' grasp, and clamped my teeth down on my kidnapper's arm. "Wha-hey!" he dropped me and his arm slipped from my grip. I struggled to my feet, but was tackled. "Help, guys!" said my attacker. "Look, fox-girl, we're trying to help!" Yeah... _right_. Like the 'help' of the turks, huh? Not going to happen again, buddy! I struggled to bite him, but he kept me pinned down and out of reach. Clawing was no good either, my hands were trapped underneath me. He was _smushing_ me!

"Grab that muzzle these in-humane people have, Josh!"

"What! No, we're here to help-"

"We can't help if we're getting mauled in the process!"

"Fine."

I feel, rather than see, that dreaded muzzle Blackford had made for me after I bit one of the keeper during a hosing down, slip over my mouth. My hands are trapped in to steel like grip and I'm hoisted up into the back of a truck. A man opens a large dog-kneel.

"What are you doing?"

"Obviously she's crazy, just put her inside here so we don't have to deal with her the whole way to the pick up."

I was slid into the cage and the door was quickly shut behind me. I managed to squeeze around so that I was facing the door. I growled and bared my teeth. One man peaked into the cage.

"Fisity little thing..." Joe commented.

The leather jacket guy gripped his arm. "Joe..." he stumbled back before surcoming to my bite and dropped like a log.

"Mack!"

**~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`.**

Dragon's hands and feet had been duck taped and he was laid outside my cage on the bed of the truck, a blanket wrapped around him. I was still pretty groggy from the after effects of the setitives. I sighed, and laid down on the doggy smelling towels that were already in here. I had fallen asleep even with the jostling and bumps we occasionally hit and was startled when I woke up to the truck still, and the motor quiet. There was to low, monotone voice of two people still in the truck. They had stopped. But why? And where was I? Everything was so strange... Why were they doing this? More, and more, the thoughts raced in my head, quickly becoming frantic by each passing moment. What was I to do? Dragon wasn't awake yet. Should I wake him up? Could I? What do I do?

There was a sudden stabbing pain in my head and I gave a cry before clutching my head. I closed my eyes as I endured the pain that I knew would last a few long, agonizing moments. As quickly as it had come it was gone, leaving behind a dull throb. I opened my eyes to see Dragon stirring from his sleep. I gave a happy yap as he suddenly untangled himself from the covers throwing it roughly to the side.

"Where are we?..." he looked down at the bonds around his wrist and ankles. "What in the world?" I whined, suddenly gaining his attention. "Foxy..." He glanced toward the window of the truck before turning back to me. "Foxy, be real quiet. I think I can get us out of this mess." He turned to his wrist, and, with one claw like finger, he sliced opened the duck tape. He did likewise to his ankles before turning to the lock on my kennel door. "I don't know how to pick it open..." he added lowly, "But I can burn it away. Foxy," he looked at me, "Get as close to the back of the kennel as you can." I quickly scrambled backward. "Take the towel and shield yourself." I did as told. I heard a sudden, deep, inhalation followed by low, almost roar noise before it erupted into coughs. I peeked out again. "Not..." he coughed a few times, "..yet." I heard the same noise as before, but this time without the coughs.

"Alright," Dragon sounded out of breath. I felt a tug on my towel before it was ripped away. Surprised, I looked to see Dragon spreading it out were the door to the kennel had once been. It was completely gone! "C'mon," he whispered, "Let's go. We must be very careful not to shake the bed of the truck as we're getting out." Slowly, and quietly, we crawled to the end of the bed. Dragon hopped out first. I turned around and waited. I stood up to stepped over the tail gate when I noticed how high up I was. "C'mon, hurry!" I gulped and placed one leg over the tail gate. It was a long way down. I can't jump! It's too far! Dragon must have gotten impatient, because, quiet suddenly, I picked me up by my waist and placed me down on the ground beside him. Oh, well, that was easy. "We got to run." he said quietly as he grabbed my hand. Glancing uneasily toward our formal captors, I looked back. A tug was all the warning I had, before he took off running. I stumbled, and would have fallen, had Dragon not kept me going. We were free. For the first time in my life I was free.

I felt something move with in me as I glanced over at Dragon. At the time Dragon may not have known this, but he had gained a friend. For life.

**~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`~~~`.**

**Author's Note:** Next chapter upcoming Friday!


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